Archives for 2025

The Chosen Adventures is a 14-episode animated series following nine-year-old Abby and her best friend Joshua as they navigate life in the ancient city of Capernaum. When the children encounter a wise craftsman and teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, he changes the way they see the world. And did we mention that she has a talking sheep?

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Braedyn M. comments, “The Chosen Adventures is one of the most adorable series I have ever watched with a charming and unique animation style, characters that are full of humor, and lessons that even adults can learn from. They all add up to make an absolutely wonderful show.” Ari C. adds, “I like The Chosen Adventures. It has great graphics, amazing voice actors, and it teaches valuable faith-based lessons. I also like its fun and wacky nature.” See their full reviews and talent interviews below.

The Chosen Adventures
By Braedyn M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

The Chosen Adventures is one of the most adorable series I have ever watched with a charming and unique animation style, characters that are full of humor, and lessons that even adults can learn from. They all add up to make an absolutely wonderful show.

Abby (Romy Fay) is a big-hearted nine-year-old girl, and a very curious one at that. Everywhere she goes in the town of Capernaum, she asks questions, lots of questions, sometimes more than her Abba, Eli (Danny Nucci), and her Eema, Hannah (Zehra Fazal) can answer.  This is when she and her best friend, Joshua (Jude Zarzuar) meet Jesus of Nazareth (Jonathan Roumie) who helps them with all of their questions, and gives them answers that help them understand the true meaning of life.

I really enjoyed the style of animation in this series.  It has sort of a clay-like look to it, with the scenery and characters faithfully crafted to match the setting of an ancient middle eastern fishing village.  Important individuals like Abby and Joshua are easy to spot in a crowd, thanks to unique outfits and traits, and this helps make the story easy to follow.  However, sometimes the characters are a bit difficult to understand when they are speaking. My favorite scene is when Abby returns home from the most terrible day, and is wondering why God would give her a day in which nearly everything has gone wrong. While her Eema teaches her that, even though we might not understand all things, we should still trust God because He does know, a bird named Pigeon (Yvonne Orji) shares the good things that came from Abby’s misfortunes, even though Abby didn’t see them at the time. Speaking of Pigeon, my favorite character is her best friend, Sheep (Paul Walter Hauser). Honestly, the best word to describe Sheep is… satirical. Despite his big, soft, and fluffy physical appearance, his words are often razor sharp. Yes, he does love Abby and her family very much, but he is never without a comment, remark, or some other form of general sarcasm that keeps everyone laughing, and reminds them to not take life too seriously.  

The series’ message is that, in every situation, there is something you can learn.  Abby and Joshua go on many adventures and often end up in very surprising situations.  But in all they do, Jesus teaches them some valuable life lessons, ones that will be cherished and remembered for years to come. 

I give The Chosen Adventures 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12.  It releases on Prime Video on October 17, 2025.

The Chosen Adventures                                                                                                                                                  By Ari C., KIDS FIRST Film Critics, age 13

I like The Chosen Adventures. It has great graphics, amazing voice actors, and it teaches valuable faith-based lessons. I also like its fun and wacky nature.

This incredible show, based on the award-winning series The Chosen, follows a young girl named Abby (Romy Fay), her friend Joshua (Jude Zarzaur), her talking pet sheep, Sheep (Paul Walter Hauser), and her pet pigeon, Pigeon (Yvonne Orji), as they undertake a bunch of wacky adventures and make new friends like Hilarious (Banks Pierce)  Abby has a lot of questions and no one to answer them, until she and Joshua come across a pre-mortem Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) who gives them new insight on life.

The animation, supervised by Denis Couchon, really makes this show. The details of the faces and the characters’ movements are wonderful. Lots of details are put into the nature and animal shots, which make them look very real. I love how every now and then we see a huge splash of color. This series teaches some faith-based lessons like the love of God and even non-faith-based lessons like friendship.  The show takes us through fun adventures that I found enjoyable and think other kids will also. It definitely has a wacky feeling to it – showing stories not only from a human perspective, but also the animals’ perspective, such as from Sheep and Pigeon. The interactions between Sheep and Pigeon add a hilarious feeling to the show. Romy Fay voices Abby perfectly; it’s almost as if she and Abby are literally the same person. Jonathan Roumie plays Jesus perfectly just as he did in The Chosen.  My favorite part is when Joshua overcomes his fear of heights and climbs a ladder – it is very heartwarming. While everyone in the show does not understand Sheep, the viewers and other animals can.

This series has many important lessons including the power of friendship and a reminder that miracles happen all around you.

I give The Chosen Adventures 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12. It releases on Prime Video on October 17, 2025.

Tron: Ares follows a highly sophisticated security AI program named Ares who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a mission to find the “Permanence Code.” This code could allow digital programs and constructs to become permanent in reality, ending the 29-minute limit currently imposed by technology from rival companies, Dillinger Systems and ENCOM. After Ares questions his orders and goes rogue to help a human, a conflict ensues with his original creator, Julian Dillinger, and his lieutenant, Athena, who wants to use the code for military purposes.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Rayce S. comments, “Tron: Ares delivers dazzling visual effects and clever nods to its predecessors but struggles to land its emotional core… It has its strengths — the CGI and visual effects are top-tier, immersing viewers in a sleek futuristic world. Jeff Bridges (Kevin Flynn) makes a late appearance, bringing grounded energy that elevates the scenes he is in.” See his full review below.

Tron: Ares
By Rayce S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

Tron: Ares delivers dazzling visual effects and clever nods to its predecessors but struggles to land its emotional core.

The storyline follows Ares a highly advanced program, sent from the digital realm on a very important mission into the physical world as he tries to understand human emotion.

Tron: Ares has its strengths — the CGI and visual effects are top-tier, immersing viewers in a sleek futuristic world. Jeff Bridges (Kevin Flynn) makes a late appearance, bringing grounded energy that elevates the scenes he is in. Jared Leto’s portrayal of Ares adds intrigue, especially as he wrestles with the film’s central theme — what it means to be human. There are also a few well-placed comedic moments that earn genuine laughs without trying too hard. The film’s biggest flaw lies in its characters. Despite the attempts to build emotional stakes, most of the cast of characters feel underdeveloped. They lack depth which makes it hard to connect emotionally to them.  Even in moments meant to evoke sadness or triumph, the emotional impact doesn’t land. The pacing also fails at the end. The story builds intriguing concepts and ideas, but the ending feels rushed and unresolved. The movie is not bad but it’s not great either. It’s worth watching for fans of the franchise or those drawn to high concept sci-fi but don’t expect it to be a deeply moving experience.

The theme of this movie is about understanding what makes a being human and this is mainly portrayed by Ares as he navigates his purpose. The film has stylized sci-fi combat and mild to moderate profanity.

I give Tron: Ares 2.5 out of 5 stars and I recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. This film releases in theaters on October 10, 2025.

In season two of “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” Billie grapples with the fact that being part of the Russo family might be more complicated than she thought —especially now that she’s not the only wizard in the house. Thanks to Roman and Milo’s new magical powers, Justin is now tasked with training three young wizards for the Family Wizard Competition. As the stakes rise inside and outside the family, a mysterious new threat emerges—one that could unravel the Russos forever.

KIDS FIRST!  Film Critic Kennedy P. comments, “I absolutely love Wizards Beyond Waverly Place: Season 2. It’s one of my favorite shows on Disney Channel because it mixes magic, family, and humor in such a fun way. The show’s message teaches us that family, love, and responsibility are more powerful than magic alone.” See her full review and interview with cast and crew below.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place: Season 2
By Kennedy P., KIDS FIRST!  Film Critic, age 11

I absolutely love Wizards Beyond Waverly Place: Season 2. It’s one of my favorite shows on Disney Channel because it mixes magic, family, and humor in such a fun way.

In this season, Billie grapples with the fact that being part of the Russo family might be more complicated than she thought, especially now that she’s not the only wizard in the house. Thanks to Roman and Milo’s new magical powers, Justin is now tasked with training three young wizards for the Family Wizard Competition. As the stakes rise inside and outside the family, a mysterious new threat emerges, one that could unravel the Russos forever.

The cast is amazing! I love how not only Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) and Justin (David Henrie) have powers, but now Roman (Alkaio Thiele) and Milo (Max Matenko) also have powers and they’re definitely stirring things up in the Russo household. I also love how the new characters add more depth and excitement to the story. One of my favorite new characters is the talented Freya Skye, who plays Piper, a girl who can see visions of the future. The setting continues to be beautifully magical, with awesome spell effects, enchanting sets, and a sense of wonder that feels brand new.  Season 2 really takes the magic to the next level with bigger visual effects and deeper character moments, while still keeping the heart and humor that the series is known for. What is really special about Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is its message.

The show’s message teaches us that family, love, and responsibility are more powerful than magic alone. It shows that being true to yourself, helping others, and working together can overcome even the toughest problems and real magic comes from caring, courage, and staying strong in your beliefs.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 2 gets 5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults.  There are ten episodes; many are available on the Disney Channel now and new ones release every Friday night through October 17, 2025.  All of Season 2 will premiere on Disney Plus on October 8, 2025.

In New York City’s most quickly gentrifying neighborhoods, a group of fearless residents, activists, and nonprofit attorneys fight corrupt landlords and developers for the basic human right to a home.

Slumlord Millionaire is a feature documentary about gentrification and the housing crisis. The median rent nationwide has surpassed $2,000 per month for the first time in U.S. history. In NYC, the rent in Manhattan is now an unbelievable $5,000 per month and experts predict it will only get worse. As rents increase, some landlords have become more aggressive in trying to get long-term tenants to move out of their homes. They ignore repairs, turn off heat and gas, and do nothing to eliminate vermin infestations. The landlord’s goal is to make the apartment so uninhabitable that residents are forced out and the landlord can deregulate the apartment and turn it over to market rate for a high profit. These actions drive up costs in the already unaffordable housing market, and displace families who make up the fabric of the neighborhood, changing communities forever. 

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Zoe F. comments, “I like the documentary Slumlord Millionaire because it is extremely educational and highlights so many powerful voices. It is a powerful documentary about activism and many brave initiatives and individuals. The biggest thing I learned from Slumlord Millionaire is how landlords can so easily control their tenants.” See her full review below.

Slumlord Millionaire
By Zoey F., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 14

I like the documentary Slumlord Millionaire because it is extremely educational and highlights so many powerful voices. It is a powerful documentary about activism and many brave initiatives and individuals.

Slumlord Millionaire gives us a view into the lives of families in New York City. It specifically explores the effect of the toxic real estate industry on middle and lower-class people. People, such as the Bravo Family share their story of an unfair landlord, horrible living conditions, and communities broken apart. This is especially true in locations like Chinatown, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.

The biggest thing I learned from Slumlord Millionaire is how landlords can so easily control their tenants. The Bravo family has been in a legal battle with their landlord for 15 years. Nathan Bravo developed asthma because of mold and cockroaches in his house. The Bravo family decided to try to get a law passed that forces landlords to fix these apartments. Then their landlord calls them in an angry fit, telling them that if they were smart enough to get a law passed, then they should just move out. This landlord was also known for being extremely racist to Hispanic families staying in one of their apartments. The Bravo family and one other were treated with the most disrespect due to their ethnicity. Landlords, especially for lower- and middle-class families, have so much power over their tenants. They constantly raise prices of housing, while the tenants’ income stays the same. A landlord determines what kind of conditions their tenants live in. This film explains that there are both good and corrupt landlords. The “good” landlords will have fair prices, showing their care for their tenants. The corrupt landlords will charge unfair prices to their tenants and not fix any damage in the apartment. The reason this is so impactful and important is because NYC is driven by the real estate industry. Most people in New York City have been housing insecure since after World War II. Housing costs have increased unfairly over the years. In fact, one-third of New Yorkers spend over fifty percent of their income on rent. Housing insecurity remains a big issue because, instead of helping people who already live in New York City, big companies are choosing to continue building apartments for middle to high class income people.

Slumlord Millionaire taught me to be more grateful for everything I have. The people whose stories are shared in this film live in horrible conditions. This documentary not only honors and respects those people but also plants a silent seed of gratitude in the audience’s mind. Slumlord Millionaire proposes that housing is a human right. Making money should not be more important than community and comfort. Please be advised that Slumlord Millionaire contains some profanity.

I give Slumlord Millionaire 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. You can watch it on Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu and other streaming platforms now.

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